Several mornings a week, Jeff Henderson, CFO of Cardinal Health, can be found trotting on the treadmill at the healthcare services provider's in-house fitness center. On a stationary bike a few feet away is Carole Watkins, the company's chief human resources officer. Both executives advocate the health benefits of the company's broad-based "Healthy Lifestyles" wellness program. More compellingly from a treasury standpoint, they also tout its financial return.

Cardinal Health, a Fortune 100 company with $96 billion in 2009 revenues, has invested big time in the program. At headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, and at many of its 275 sites across the country, its 32,000 employees can take advantage of on-site fitness centers, pharmacies and medical clinics. In other cases where such facilities are not feasible, the company provides discounted health club memberships and access to nearby pharmacies and clinics.

This is only the tip of the iceberg: Employees also can attend company-paid classes and seminars on nutrition, smoking cessation, exercise and chronic disease management, and receive free on-site medical screenings for cancer, heart disease and other ailments, and free immunizations for whatever flu is in season. There is even a 24×7 nurse hotline for instant health advice and coaching. "Obviously, we take the health and well-being of our employees very seriously here," says Watkins.